Cloth spreader or expander.



A. ISHERWOOD.

CLOTH SPREADER 0R EXPANDER.

APPLICATION FILED 050.2. 1915 Patented July 10, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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' Inventors -Air S) Y y am mais@ worney.

A. ISHEBWOOD.

CLOTH SPREADER )R EXPANDERL APPLICATION FILED DE02, 1915.

I IQSSMQI Patented July 10, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I l jzvenor- @MQ/l film 3m @am l A` ISHERWOOD.

CLOTH SPREADER 0R EXPANDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.2, |915.

Patented July 10,1917.

3 SHEETS-#SHEET s.

Fay.

ARTHUR- Isrinnwoon, Q F isosfrejiv, eMAssAorrUsErTsi A- ssIGNon 're 'rrroivias neuron, 'or iymncrrns5mn, ENGLAND;

1,233,059. f; Specification of Letters ]E'atent.` Pat-@uitga July 10, 191m Appheationnled Deeernberf2 1915..-Serial1q. 64,638f

T0 all whom randy concern:- ing the lower kcentral supports side eleva- Be it knownthat L ARTHUR lsniinwoen, tion, and representing in vertical cross-seca citizen. of the United. ltates,A residing at t1 on, t he carrying support,tlie1ef0r.

Readvi1le,.Boston, in the county: et Suffolk, .A Fig. 5 s a. \1iew in section in the plane of i State of h/lassachusettsf, lhave invented acer- .A line, 5,` of= Fig.

tain neuY .and useful Improvement in Cloth Figs.Y 5 and 5F are detailviews of the Spreadersmor Expanders, ef 'vvhich the fplbolqdlsengaging device hereinater delowing is a. specificatiomreferencebeingscribed hadtherein to the'iaccompanying drawings. .1 Fig. 6 is a .detail view `of the drag or The Iinvention comprises li mprwgjin ents,in "Ibrakedevlces at one end `ef one of the cloth spreading orexpan'ding devices'on the spread1ng `or expanding elements. order ofthe wellrknovmMycoek spreader yor F1g, 7i Sf-a, view "looking from ythe righi;- expander7 one formcf Whichishshoivn and hand side in Figogp described in U. S. Letters Patent tdw. `N [ye Fig:A Sus a sectional view showing the concock No. 687,847, .grenat/Dee 3, 190l. l,The Strlldtlcnof the bearings atone of the' censaid improvements vare applicablete a vatralsupportsg vandthe manner ofv taking up riety of spreadersor expandie'rsof'the same end.tl irust. p general type as, that shown and describedin Having Vreference tothe d'ravvings, l the said patent. p' p The trameof calender, partly shown Thel improvements comprise, first inter- .there1 n isgnarkedl, andthe top, middle and mediate or so-called center-.supports for the bottom rolls thereof respectively are marked curved supporting rods onwhielrare mount-2, 3 andi' Th@V Spreader 0r expander is ed the revolublejserrated disks, `Lblocl s, or vlocatedat thesideofthe calender at `which clutches which areengaged by the c lothl the cloth travelstoxvardthe lattenand the in its passage; -secondlyfdrag or brakeude- .cloth passes .througlrthe spread'ef'qr eX- vices by which the disks, bloclrsfer clutches pander and then lbetween the middle and are held,.from klooseor idle forwardand bOQm FO11S3 Mld-4 0f the Calender, @C- backward turning movements, and vvherebv The` spreader' orexpander shown?V in the the interengaging lugsor, shoulders ofad- `drawingscomprises five complete spreading jacent disks, blocks or clutches gare kept in `or expandingelements which, fer the puririn driving ,engagement with one another poses of this description, may 'be termed eX- thirdly, an improved construction providing pander-*bars,l As usual, eachof the Vsaid for taking care of the inwardndrthrust of expanderfbars comprises a curvednon-rotatthe clutches towarda central suppQrt,` and ing shaft 0r bar 5, Which iS. COIlIleCted lat its ebviating Wearing of the hearing-portions of Aends to supporting lstands 6, 6, at the oppothe saidsupport and thetwo clutchesadsite sides of the inacliine, anda number of joining the same. serrated disksybloclis, or clutches 7, 7, etc.,

The drawings show the improvements c-on- :carried by the said nonrotatng shaft or veniently embodied and temmgbined: `in a. bar andcapahleofturning or rotating therespreader or. expanderof the v type mentioned L. o n. Thel clothl on its Way through i the above, .the saidv spreader or expander being spreader or expander passes under and over shown in connection with a-` calender ofv the Vsaid expanderebars in alternating sucordinarycharacter. cessionhas shown 4b estlin Fig. 3. The eX- In the drawingspander-bars.are bent or bowedftoward the Figure 1` isV an elevation or Vcertain pordeliveryside ofthe expanderor spreader so tions of acalender with the improvements that the cloth arrives at each expanderappliedgtheret-o,certainsmall.portionsbeing bar, in successionv at the short or conbroken out at the :middle of the machine. cave lside thereof and" leaves .the same at Fig. 2 shows inv plan the parts lof Fig; l, the long orA convex side thereof, 4and therethe `top Jroll of the calender being omitted. fore` is spread, or expanded Widthwise, all Fig. 3 is a view on .a somewhatlar'gerview as is vvellunderstood by thoseskilled in the than Figs. l and 2, on a -Slightly larger sj'cale,V ai't. As usual, also, the expander-disks, of a. calender with l,the improvementsap- `blocks or clutches are vif'crmed at the ends plied thereto. thereofwith longitudinally projecting lugs, Fig. 4 is a vievvgon a stilllarger scale showas indicatedjin Figs. l and 9;, those of each disk, block, or clutch in turn occupying spaces between )thel ones -on the adjacent disks, blocks or clutches, soasithere-by. to

clutch a series of the disks, blocks or clutches together and compel them torotate around the supporting -bar substantially in unison.

lnother words, the disks, blocks, or clutches which is applied'and contrived tol vresist the tendencyto spring certain of the expanderv bars upward, and a second set which is apof a series mounted upon a fixed curved supporting shaft or bar are interlocked with one another so as toturnin unison. All that hasbeen referred to Vthus far is 'well known' in the art.A l

lIn use, the strain Vof the cloth passing around the expander-bars has a marked Ytendency .to spring the bowed portions ofv the expander-barsup or down as thefcasef l may.- be; "that is Vto say, in adirection at right-angles orapproximately right-angles to the plane'of the cloth. 'The intermediate orl so-called center supports constituting' theV first improvement comprise one setthereof plied and contrived to resist the tendency to spring'the' remaining expander-bars down-A ward. rTheV center supports by which the upwardly-acting strain isy counteracted compr'i'se -in the preseii't embodiment 'of the invention two transversely extending tubesV 8, f8, which are fixedly mounted at their ends in Vstands 9, 9, projecting from the side` frames of the'calender.' VUpon these tubes w'hicliimmediately adjoin the eyes 12, 12,

I may beifurnish'ed with suitable journal-bear- A"ings in connection with the eyes, as presently of the expander-barsnamed is of course upis explained herein. kThe strain in the case wardly. Theisupport which has just been described resists the tendency of the upwardly directe'dstrain to spring the middle' 'portions of the said expander-bars upward.

, The eyes, 12, y12, 12, separate the disks,

blocks, or clutches of each expander-bar into two Series,`each series being-about one-half the length ofthe expander-bar. The said eyes, exteriorly, do' notexceed'in diameter rthe adjacent clutches. See, more V'particularly, Fig. 8. Consequently they-do not interfere `with the web or prevent itfrom en- @tering into fiat contact with the surfaces of the said clutches. The middle portions of vthe second and fourth expander-bars, namely thosealternating with the ones first mentioned, and being the ones over which the cloth passes, so that the tendency-'of the strain is to press the said middle portions Y bars 14, 14, sliding in vertical sockets in the double Vgrip-bracket 15 which is fixedly mounted on the transversely extending fixed tube 16, the latter being supported at its ends bybrackets 17, 17, projecting from the side-frame of the calender. The said eyes 18,l 13, etc., sustain the middle portions of the second and fourth expander-bars against the eects of downwardly acting strain. Like the eyes 12, 12, etc., they are so proportioned as not to prevent the web from lying properly in contact with the surfaces of the clutches which adjoin them on opposite sides thereof, and like the eyes 12, 12, etc., they may be fitted to the supporting-rods themselves or may be provided with journal-bearings'for the central clutches. In practice,I

the expander-bars of a spreader or expander vare made adjustable, as by the adjustment devices a, a1, a2, shown in the drawings, so as to interlap with one another, or not at all, according to the nature of the cloth operated upon, and according as a greater or less spreading or expanding action is required. To accommodate this adjustment,

which in theillustrated machine involves movement of the second and fourth expander-bars up vand down relative to the first, third and fifth bars, the central supports for the second and fourth bars likewise are made adjustable. Thus, the bars 14, 14, aie fitted within the sockets of the double grip bracket 15 with capacity to be moved up and down within such sockets. .To support them at the required height locking devices are employed. The locking devices in connection with each bar 14 coniprise in the present instance a bolt 18, actuated loy a spring 18a, which presses the bolt toward the bar 14, and this latter is formed with rack-teeth 14, with which the acting portion of the bolt engages. As a result of such engagement, the bars 14, 1-1, and the middle portions of the length of the corresponding expander-bars, after adjustment, are held against the depressing action of the cloth upon such expander-bars. In order to render the center support for the second and fourth expander-bars automatically adjustable' in case of adjustment of the second and fourth expander-bars upward, the rack-teeth 14a, 14, ofthe bars 14, 14, are formed with inclined upper sides, andthe engaging portions of the bolts 18, 18, are correspondingly formed so that the said rack-teeth will slip readily upward past the bolts as the bars 14, 14, are raised in consequence of upward adjustment of the second and fourth expander-bars, but the engagement of the bolts with the under sides of the said rack-teeth will hold the bars 14, 14, from descending. When it is desired to lower the second and fourth expander-bars the bolts are disengaged from the rack-teeth by outward movement of the bolts. This disengagement is conveniently provided for in the case of eachv bolt in the present instance by means of a` disk 19, Figs. 5, a, fitted upon the exposedA outer end of the stem of the bolt and adapted to turn thereon, it having projecting` wings or flanges to enable it to be graspedor engaged for the purpose of applying force to turn it. The inner face" of the said disk is formed with a cam or projection 19a normally occupying a notch in the disk 20 through which the said stem of the bolt works. So long as the projection or cam is in the notch the spring is permitted to hold the bolt in engagement with the rackteeth. Vhen, however, the disk 19 is turned so as tocause the projection or cam to ride out of the notch and up on the outer surface of the disk 20, the disk 19 and with ith the bolt are moved outward so as to draw the acting portion of the bolt out of engagement with the rack-teeth, thereby freeingV the bar 11i sothat it may be shifted as required.

I' A drawback in connection with expanders or spreaders as constructed heretofore has been the fact that in use the clutches which are outside the selvages of `the cloth, and

consequently not engaged directly by the cloth but caused to rotate around the supportingshaft or bar by reason of the inter-v` j.

engagement of the lugs of the clutches with vone another, are `from time to time thrown forward by the driving action of the clutches which are engaged and rotated by the cloth, vbut faster than theseV latter clutches, so that in consequence of back-and-forth shifting or chucking action of these outside clutches considerable noise and wearresult through the lugs or Wings hammering against one another. To remedy this, I provide a yielding drag or brake acting in connection with the terminal clutch at eachfend of an expander-bar so as to control the rotation of the same and prevent it from springing or being thrown forward. Through the inter-y j engagement between the lugs of lthe terminal clutch with those of the .next adjacent clutch, and so on throughout the series, a checking or braking action is transmitted to all of the clutches of thelseries, thereby holding theinterengaging lugs of all the clutches` of the series firmly pressed together in close and continuous driving contact. In its preferred form, the drag lor brake-device comprises a spring-pressed `collar 21, Fig. (i, fitting around the ,supprting rod or shaft of an expander bar adjacent the outer terminal clutch 7 at such end, -and acting against the outer end of the saidterminal clutch, preferably through an interposed r washer 22 of suitable friction-.producing ,materia-l, for instance raw-hide, interposed "between it and the said terminal clutch.

j pins ortstuds 23, 23, 23, projects outwardly from the collar 21 through holes in another collar, 24, which is fastened upon the sup* porting shaft or bar by means of a clamping screw 25 so as to prevent it from turning thereon. The pins 23,23,23,are capable of sliding through the holes in the xed collar 2,4 so as to permit the collar 21 to move in the direction `of the length of the supporting shaft or bar, and in this instance the collar 21 is pressed with yielding force toward the adjacent terminal clutch' by means of ex panding spiral springs 2G, 26, surrounding the said pins and confined between the two collars. A weighted lever would be an equivalent for the springs shown but in most cases the latter are most convenient. means of keeping the clutches pressed together endwise operates to keep them with their end-faces in contact and their interengaging lugs in close and continuous driving contact.

Referring now tothe improved construction which provides for taking care of the inward end-thrust of the clutches toward a central support, and obviating wearing of the bearing portions of the said support and the two clutches adjoining the same: This improvement is designed to take care of the inward end-thrust of the two opposite sets of clutches'of an expander-bar toward the central support of the latter, and to guard against the wearing of the bearing portions, as well as against injury to the cloth through staining or marking by metallic particles. i 4This improvement is shown in Fig. 8. In accordance therewith, each of the central supports has the eye thereof, 12 or 13 as the case may be, lined with two bushings 12, 12, placed side by side and having their inner surfaces crowned transversely, and the two adjacent clutches at opposite sides of the said eye are formed with reduced cylindrical extensions 7a, 7a, which fit within the two crowned bushings and have their exteriors in bearing contact with the said crowned surfaces. These bearing extensions are bored vo ut slightly larger than the supporting bar 5 and have fitted within them The vpockets. l Y with a lixed'intermediate end-thrust bearpractice I usually combined with them suitable anti-friction material, such as metaline, graphite, or the like, `ordinarily applied in In ythis construction I dispense ing, and provide the two innermost clutches with meeting portions which rotate in unison, so that frictional contact between the said clutches' and a fixed intermediate endthrust bearing is done away with altogether. In case of extra strain or tension on the cloth tending to force or strain Vthe clutches upward or` downward, the bearing extensions 74, 7a, will rock slightly on the rounded Ysurfaces of the crowned bushingsl2, 12a.

, As will be erceived the rockin action ma take place independentlyA at either side ofk clothV against the surfaces of the clutches,

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l andtherefore the grip or hold of the said surfaces upon the cloth. In preparing the Vcloth which is to be operated upon in a calender a considerable number of pieces yare stitched together end to end and wound together in arroll of large diameter, such roll being termed a batch-roll, or for short a batch The outside pieces of the batch Yare usually, if not always, more slackly or loosely wound than those at thek interior. Consequently, under ordinary conditions the said outside pieces pass through fa spreader or vexpander under a less degree of tension than those forming the inner portion of the batch. As a result, difficulty is experienced l in keeping the first piece lor pieces of the cloth itself after the 'batcli. It comprises in the present instance Vtwo bars, V26a and 27, partly around each of batch out to the predetermined width. To remedy this diificulty I provide a tensionregulating' device at the entrance to the spreader or expander, which acts upon the cloth as the latter passes from the batch to the spreader or expander and which is so constructed as to be readily adjustable so thatgits action may be varied from time to time as may be required in order to secure substantial uniformity 1n the tension of the cloth inrenterlng the spreader or expander vnotwithstanding differences in the tightness with which. different portions of the batch are wound, and so as to maintain uniformity in the efficiencyV of the spreader or expander and enable the cloth throughout to be givenV the same width.

The tension regulating device aforesaid is arranged .to act upon the moving web of `latter has left the ivhich the cloth passes, so that the cloth is bent out of a straight path and also held in frictional contact with the surfaces of the bars. The `bars are adjustable relatively to each other so that the cloth may be caused to enwrap each of the bars more or less, as the case may be, and thereby increase or decrease the resistance to the forward travel of the cloth. Herein, the rod 27 is hung by arms 28, 2S, so that it may be shifted in an arc around the rod 26, and it is held in the desired position of adjustment by means of a dog or pawl 29, Figs. l and 2, engaging with the teeth of a. fixed ratchet-wheel R0 VI clailn as my inveution:-

l. In combination with an expander-bar comprising` a bowed supporting-rod and clutches mounted upon said supporting-rod and operating to expand widthwise a web traveling past the same, means for adjusting the ends .of said expander-bar at right angles to the plane of the web, an intermediate support for said expander-bar having a rack and adapted to be adjusted correspondingly with the said ends, and a bolt engaging with the rack to hold the intermediate support in adjusted position.

2. In combination with a series of expander-bars, each comprising a bowed supporting-rod and clutches mounted thereon and operating to expand widthwise a web traveling partly around the respective expander-bars alternately, intermediate supporting means for the expander-bars at one side ofthe web and intermediate supporting means for the intervening exqialulerbars at the other side of the web.

3. In combination with a series of cxpander-bars, each comprising a bowed supporting-rod and clutches mounted thereon and operating to expand widthwise a web traveling partly around the respective expander-bars alternately, intermediate supporting means for the expander-bars at one side of the web and intermediate supporting means for the expander-bars at the other side ofthe web, means for adjusting the ends of the expander-bars to vary the alinement thereof, and means for eli'ecting corresponding relative adjustment of the intermediate supporting means.

4. In an expander', the combination with a series of expander-clutches and means for supporting them in line with one another in position for expanding a traveling web, of drag or brake devices holding the said clutches from loose or idle 'forward and backward turning movement,

` 5. In an expander, in combination, a supporting-rod, a series of expander-clutches mounted on said supporting-rod and` revoluble thereon under the action of the traveling web, and drag or brake devices holding the said clutches from loose or idle forward and backward turning movement.

6. In an expander, in combination, a supporting rod, a series of expander-clutches mounted on the said supporting-rod and revoluble thereon under the action of the traveling Web, and drag'or brake devices in connection with said clutches including a spring-pressed collar operating to keep them pressed together endwise and also to keep them from loose or idle forward and baok-` Ward turning movement.

7. In an expander, in combination,` a supporting-rod, a series of expander-clutches mounted on the said supporting rod and revoluble thereon under the action of the traveling web, and drag or brake devices in connection with said clutches operating to keep them pressed together endvvise and also to keep them from loose or idle for Ward and backward turning movement, and comprising a spring-pressed collar non-rotatively mounted upon the supporting-rod.

8. In an expander', in combination, a series of rotatable expander-clutches, means for supporting such series in line With one another endwise, and an intermediate support in which intermediate clutches of the series are j ournaled.

9. In an expander, in combination, a series of rotatable expander-clutches, means for supporting such series in line With one another endWise, and an intermediate support in which the central clutches of the series are journaled in end-thrust engagement with each other.

10. In an expander, in combination, a se- Capies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. v

ries of rotatable expander-clutches, means for supporting such series in line with one another endwise, and a central support provided with internal journal-bearings for the meeting-ends of the central clutches and Within which bearings the said meetingends are in end-thrust engagement with each other.

11. In an expander, in combination, a series of rotatable expander-clutohes supported in line with one another' endwise, the central clutches having reduced meetingends, and a central support Within which the said meeting-ends are in end-thrust engagement With each other', the said support having internally-crowned bearing-surfaces Within which said meeting ends are journaled.

12. In an expander', in combination, a series of rotatable expander-clutches, a bowed supporting-rod on which the said clutches are mounted in line endwise with one another and on which they revolve, the central clutches of said series having reduced meetingeends, a central support Within which the said meeting-ends are journaled, removable end-thrust bearing members in connection with said meeting-ends, said bearingmembers litting the said supporting-rod.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

` ARTHUR ISI-IERWOOD. Witnesses:

C11-IAS. F. RANDALL, ELLEN O. SPRING.

Washington, D. C. 

